NCT03583827

Motor Learning of Stroke Patients in Virtual Environments

Motor Learning of Stroke Patients in Virtual Environments: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to assess the motor learning of patients with chronic stroke in virtual environments. Half the patients will undergo conventional therapy and half virtual reality training using virtual game. The study will also include healthy individuals matched for age, sex, schooling and hand laterality.

Detailed description

Stroke is the main cause of long-term disability in adults and motor learning is vital for recovering from motor sequelae. A number of approaches have been proposed to promote motor learning, including virtual reality, which simulates a real world environment and is based on the assumption that skills acquired in a virtual world will be transferred to the real world. Virtual reality induces use-dependent plastic changes in response to stimulation of higher motor areas, recruiting the memory system containing stored motor programs. As such, these interactive interventions of virtual reality are based on the idea that stimulating the action processing system activates the cortical areas involved in movement execution. These game characteristics allow activation of the mirror neuron system during the execution or observation of actions. Recent evidence suggests an important role for this neuron system in the improvement or motor recovery of patients. In this respect, observing an action in association with physical training may enhance the effects of motor training on the recovery of patients with stroke.

Conditions

• Stroke
• Stroke Sequelae

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Virtual reality	Virtual reality is a simulation of the real world generated by computer software and experienced by users via a man-machine interface, providing them with intensive repetition of complex tasks, directed by visual and auditory stimuli, creating dynamic individual-task interaction, a motivating environment and immediate feedback on performance and results, stimulating motor skill learning and motor control of complex behaviors.
OTHER	Conventional physical therapy	Exercises of stretching and strengthening of the upper and lower limbs, as well as coordination, gait and balance.

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-02-10
• Primary completion: 2019-11-20
• Completion: 2020-02-01
• First posted: 2018-07-11
• Last updated: 2019-12-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Brazil